


Who is the Monster...?

by starluff



Series: JWP 2015 [7]
Category: A Study in Emerald - Neil Gaiman, Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Community: watsons_woes, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 17:36:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4314222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starluff/pseuds/starluff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you sympathize with the very men you're supposed to be hunting for, there may be a problem...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who is the Monster...?

**Author's Note:**

> More aSiE! If you were to ask me what this is, I would reply, I'm not entirely sure. Both this and the previous chapter are more like vague ideas I have of this big, epic story, one that I HOPE will get written, one day, but I'm not really sure. For now, I just satisfy myself by writing these little snapshots, we'll call them. It fit today's prompt too well for me to not write. For all the weirdness, I hope you can still enjoy it!

"That fiend!" Baron Gruner cried from his refuge in the armchair. "That criminal! Devil! You must find him, Inspector, or I will never have a moment's peace again!"

"And neither will I nor the rest of Scotland Yard," Inspector Hopkins thought, but he had enough of a head on his shoulders to not say it out loud.

Constables rushed to and fro, gathering what meager evidence they could, while two nurses fussed over the injured Royal. Hopkins had seen many a wound before during his experience in Scotland Yard, but never one quite so ugly. The Baron's previously handsome face had warped into a hideous caricature of what a human face should look like; one eye was white and glazed, the other still red and inflamed, and the rest of the face looked like a smudged painting. It was only with some considerable strength of will and fear of the Royal's ire that Hopkins did not flinch nor look away.

"Your highness, please," Hopkins entreated, "if you could calm down and tell me what happened then I promise to help you in any way the Scotland Yard can."

With the help of a few deep breaths and the nurses help, Baron Gruner managed to calm himself down enough to converse intelligently.

"It started the day before, when I received a note from a Dr. Hill Barton, saying that he had in his possession a set of egg-shell pottery from Ming China, and that he would like to sell it. I am, as you may know, an avid collector of Chinese pottery; I have even written a book on the subject. My suspicion was instantly aroused, because I knew of only one such specimen in England and it was certainly not likely to be in the market. I was, however, intrigued; I could not give up the chance to obtain such a wonderful specimen and I thought the perhaps, if it had been stolen, I could help to return it to its original owner."

"Or keep it for yourself," was Hopkin's mental reflection.

"So I agreed to see him. More fool am I! I was more than a little surprised upon meeting Dr. Barton - he was a connoisseur, I would bet my life on it! It has been a long time since I last met someone who knew as much about Chinese pottery as I did. Our talk ranged from the Ming and Nonhern Wei dynasty, to oh! So many things. He also named a good price, convincing me that he had even read my book.

"Yet I still felt suspicious. Despite his cheery manner, he seemed very mysterious. He avoided answering where he had obtained the set, and was reluctant to answer any personal questions. Well, as I said before, all I wanted was to get the bowl; after that I could find out where it came from and so forth. Just as we were settling on the price, however, I heard someone in my room, and in an instant I thought I had him figured out: he was here to distract me as his accomplice comes in a takes what he wants!

"Two steps took me to the open door, and my mind will ever carry a clear picture of the scene within. The window leading out to the garden was wide open. Beside it stood a man, but it did not look so much like a man as it did a wraith, a demon from hell. He was all black, nothing more than a silhouette in the moonlight, but his eyes, man, his eye! I have never seen such cool, dispassionate eyes that were full of hatred nevertheless. The next instant he was through the gap, and I heard the crash of his body among the laurel bushes outside. I followed him - ah, but this is where I made my mistake.

"For it was not just my demon and the doctor there, you see, but my past as well."

"Your past?" Hopkins asked, wondering why this man was so determined to tell a story instead of give the facts.

"Yes. I have a dark past, Inspector, one that I have repented for may times over and will continue to do so until my death. When I was young and impressionable, I had become involved with a Miss Kitty Winter. She is a low creature but I was so blind as to ... but that is in the past." He waved it away, like the memory was a pesky fly. "It seems that she has not forgiven me for leaving after all these years, for she was there that night, and she is still there, in fact. In some twisted thought of revenge, she threw oil of vitriol on me, perhaps thinking to ruin my features and make my beloved fiancee leave me."

"You say she's still here?"

"Yes. I managed to catch hold of her arm, you see, and, using some of the mental powers of my heritage, managed to kill." The flash in his eyes suggested that it had not been peaceful, and Hopkins shuddered.

You would not think it looking at Baron Gruner but he had some Royal blood in his veins, giving a human appearance and some weak mental skills. Even these so called 'weak' skills were still quite powerful, it seemed.

"So you killed Kitty Winter?" Hopkins struggled to keep his voice neutral.

"Yes. No more than she deserved, of course."

Hopkins nodded, because he was smart and didn't want an early grave or to look for a new job, and took notes to make himself seem more engaged than he actually was.

"I'll get right on it, Baron Gruner, don't you worry. We'll have those men; they can't escape Scotland Yard," Hopkins said, hardly hearing a word he was saying.


End file.
